


Past Imperfect, Present Tense

by Goddess47



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-19
Updated: 2015-07-19
Packaged: 2018-04-10 04:21:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4377026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goddess47/pseuds/Goddess47
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry didn't know what Severus and Draco wanted with the child he was carrying.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Past Imperfect, Present Tense

**Author's Note:**

  * For [me_midget (gin_tonic)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gin_tonic/gifts).



> For the HDS_Beltane fest. For Me_Midget, who asked for adventure, and hoped for mpreg. The adventure is implied but there's lots of mpreg.

Harry lay still, pretending to sleep. He needed to listen, to determine if he was alone.

He opened his eyes a fraction, eyes darting about quickly to see if anyone had snuck into the room during the night. They had done that -- once -- _to watch over him_ they protested feebly, and he was now on guard in case it happened again.

Seeing no one, but noting the pale light of dawn coming through the windows, Harry decided it might be time to get out of bed. He wormed his way to the side of the overly large bed and gingerly stood. He had learned -- the hard way -- that if he stood too fast, he might get dizzy and fall.

Hand holding on to the edge of the bed, Harry stood in place for a moment, enjoying the coolish air of the bedroom. He reached up, to stretch the kinks out of his back.

That motion was a signal to the baby in him, to wake for the day and start kicking.

"Ow, yes, thank you," Harry murmured to the baby. "I already had to piss, stop bouncing on my bladder."

The movement gentled for a moment, as if listening to his voice. 

Harry rubbed a hand on his protruding abdomen. "See? That wasn't hard. Give me a minute," he continued.

He made sure he was steady on his feet before making his way to the bathroom. He pissed and washed his hands, considering whether he wanted to take a shower or not. He decided to wait -- breakfast should be coming soon and a shower would be something to look forward to when he was alone.

Harry sat at the window seat, wrapping the blanket that lay there around him. The view was the same as ever -- well tended gardens that no one ever seemed to tend -- but there were birds and small animals to watch. He thought there was a nest of baby bunnies under one of the bushes, and he was waiting to see if the mother rabbit would be coming back soon. Rising early meant he had a better chance of seeing her than later in the day. And since it was the end of April, there was a chance he'd see the babies wander about at some point soon.

A delicate chime told him it breakfast would be coming shortly. They had learned to warn Harry when someone was about to enter the room. He stayed at the window.

The door opened to allow Severus to enter; he was carrying a tray with several dishes on it.

"Good morning, Harry, how are you today?" Severus asked softly.

Harry didn't answer.

"Good to see you up, and out of bed," Severus went on, ignoring that Harry didn't speak to him. "I've brought you some fresh peaches with your breakfast today. I hope you like them."

Harry could smell the peaches from where he was. The scent wound through the room, luring him to the table set in the other corner of the room.

"I have to go to some meetings at the Ministry today, so Draco will bring your lunch," Severus kept talking. "More discussion on updating the curriculum at Hogwarts that everyone feels they are experts on. Also, the Muggle Prime Minister has some interest in how Hogwarts is run." 

Harry didn't move or acknowledge the information. He knew that if he gave even a glimmer of interest, Severus would keep talking to him, asking him questions about how he felt, and if he had anything to report on the baby.

Since the baby wasn't really any of Severus' business, Harry found it easier to just ignore anything anyone said to him. It was mainly Severus and Draco with an occasional visit by Andromeda. Ron and Hermione had each come once. They had not come back. 

"There is a new Quidditch Magazine, I'll have Draco bring that to you when he brings lunch," Severus said into the continuing silence. No one ever brought a newspaper -- not even the Quibbler.

"Enjoy your breakfast, and I'll see you at dinnertime," Severus went on. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Severus hesitate for a moment before leaving the room.

There wasn't anything as obvious as a physical lock, but Harry knew he was again sealed into the room. He had spent days working at the enchantments on the door, and the window, to see if he could escape this prison he was in. Without his wand, a magic dampening field on the room, and the pregnancy draining directly on his magical core, Harry was unable to break out. The room was beautiful and comfortable, but it was a prison nonetheless.

Harry's stomach rumbled, so he got up to check out the tray of food. The promised peaches were there, cut up for easy eating. There also was a bowl of porridge, flasks with both pumpkin and orange juice, a bowl of scrambled eggs and a pile of toast. 

Harry nibbled his way through most of the food, figuring it wasn't poisoned or otherwise charmed. He knew that Severus and Draco were zealously protecting the child in him, so they were handling him like he was made of glass. 

He just didn't know why. 

A Muggle clock on the wall told him it was mid-morning. He looked down at the remains of the breakfast, not remembering why he was still sitting at the table. Harry decided it was time for a shower, so he got up -- muscles complaining after sitting -- and went into the bathroom.

There was no tub, only an over-sized shower with a wide ledge that would serve as a seat, but the bathroom was well appointed. Fluffy towels appeared regularly in the cabinet and there were half a dozen different scented soaps. That was a good thing, he remembered. Some of the soaps had smelled atrocious at a point earlier in his pregnancy, being able to choose something else had been a godsend.

Harry took his time in the shower, moving carefully and taking advantage of the built in seat and hand holds. Since he had never been able to make it run out, he had long ago assumed the hot water was charmed to be endless. It let him soak away some of the bodily stiffness from not being able to exercise, as well as the aches that were a part of his pregnancy. His feet and ankles were almost always sore, even though he barely walked anywhere. He vaguely wished for a tub of hot water to soak in, but that didn't seem to be allowed.

He placed the pajamas he had slept in into the basket near the sink and took fresh clothes from the cabinet that held the towels. Fresh clothes appeared regularly, all soft and comfortable, and adjusted for his growing size. Comfortable slippers were available but the room was now warm enough to walk around barefoot.

The room regularly warmed as the day progressed. It warmed gradually through the morning, seemed to hold steady through the day and cooled slightly starting at 11 pm, holding a steady coolness starting about midnight.

The bed was made, and Harry knew there were fresh sheets -- as there had been daily. House Elves, he assumed, but he had never been able to catch one doing the work.

Another delicate chime and Harry knew this would be Draco, bringing his lunch.

"And how are you today?" Draco asked. He put the tray on the same table. He held up a magazine. "New Quidditch magazine, thought you might be interested." He set the magazine on the table with the lunch.

"Anything you would like for tea?" Draco asked.

Harry did not reply. He watched Draco bite back a sigh of frustration.

"If you would sit for me?" Draco asked gently.

Harry sat on the chair next to the table.

Draco stood far enough away from Harry that he knew he had no chance to grab at Draco's wand as Draco brought the wand out. Draco muttered a scanning charm that washed over Harry.

The results glowed in the air between them for a moment and as far as Harry could see, there was no change from the last time. 

"Everything looks good," Draco confirmed. "You should be ready to deliver in another couple of weeks."

Harry rested a hand on his abdomen, as if protecting the child within him. He didn't want these people to get their hands on his child, but it looked like biology was going to win. 

"I'll have some fairy cakes for tea," Draco promised. "Let me know if you need anything."

Harry sat in the chair, not looking up as Draco left the room.

Harry pages through the magazine, not really reading the articles but glancing at the pictures. He remembered playing Quidditch with Draco and... the thought faded away.

Curled up in the window seat, Harry was woken by the chime. Dinner time, he figured. Tea time had passed. It was still daylight but fading, the sun on the other side of the building throwing the garden into early darkness.

Severus brought in dinner, setting things on the table. 

"I thought I might join you tonight," Severus offered.

Harry stood carefully from his seat and went into the bathroom. The baby was sitting on his bladder again and he needed to piss. He washed his hands and went back into the room.

Severus was seated across from Harry's usual chair. 

"Pasta tonight," Severus pointed. "And there were strawberries in the greenhouse."

Harry ate the pasta and sauce while Severus talked on about his meetings at the Ministry. Harry focused on his food, letting the voice wash over him.

"There's ice cream to go with the strawberries," Severus said. "Or cake, if you prefer."

Harry ate some of the garlic bread that came with the dinner.

Severus served up a bowl with both a scoop of ice cream and a slice of cake, slathered with a generous scoop of strawberries.

Before Harry could decide whether to eat the proffered dessert, he felt a cramp ripple across his stomach. It came and went so quickly that he didn't know if it was real or not.

The second cramp was definitely real. Harry leaned forward, placing a hand on his stomach as the pain hit.

"Harry?" Severus asked, frowning.

A third cramp had Harry panting, curled in the chair.

A silver flash left the room as Severus came slowly around the table.

"Let me help you into the bed," Severus said, holding his hands out so that Harry could see that there was nothing in them. 

Harry tried to stand but dropped back into the chair as yet another pain struck. He looked down at his stomach, worried for the child in him.

"I think someone's coming early," Severus said. "Let me help you."

Severus' soft, pleading, "Please" came as another pain struck. Harry nodded and Severus was there with firm hands guiding him to the bed.

The chime sounded as Severus got Harry to the bed, and Draco entered the room. 

Harry flinched, stumbling back into Severus.

Draco held up his hands. "I'll stay here, just let Severus help you," he said.

Severus got Harry on the bed, placing pillows behind him so he could sit up. 

"I think this is it," Severus said to Draco.

"Do you want me to...?" Draco asked.

_Do what?_ Harry barely had time to wonder before another pain hit.

The thought spiraled away in a blur of pain. Harry didn't have the strength to fight as the pains came close together.

"Don't take my baby," he whimpered. "Please... don't take my baby..."

Blessed blackness came.

A voice. "Harry, you need to drink this." Severus. "Come on, you can do it."

A foul taste in his mouth, accompanied by Severus' voice. "Just swallow one time. Harry, please."

The _please_ did it, and Harry swallowed. There was a moment of dizziness and then more blackness.

The crying woke him this time. Harry looked around to find Severus and Draco huddled at one end of the room.

"Hey!" Harry croaked. He cleared his voice. "Hello!"

They both twirled, looking at Harry.

"Harry! How are you?" Severus demanded.

"Better," he answered, then frowned. "I think."

"Oh, that's much better!" Draco put in.

"What happened?" Harry asked. 

"Give us a minute," Draco said. He pulled out his wand and ran a diagnostic spell. "Definitely, much better," he announced.

"Then maybe you'd like to meet Clarissa," Severus perched on the edge of the bed and passed a small bundle to Harry.

"Oh, she's beautiful!" Harry smiled. Clarissa yawned and settled in to sleep.

"What do you remember?" Severus asked.

Harry looked up to see the lines of worry worn into Severus' face. He reached out his free hand to touch his husband...

"Oh, I've been horrid!" Harry exclaimed.

"Not your fault," Severus assured him. 

Harry had to think through what he did remember. "I was... walking in the park," he said slowly. "It was a nice day, and I just wanted to get out. There didn't seem to be anyone about."

"Hidden under a Disillusionment spell and in some shrubbery," Severus filled in.

"I was near the playground, thinking about taking Clarissa there when she was big enough and... a blue flash of something. I know I got at least a partial shield up."

"And good thing you did," Draco put in. "The partial rebound caught Marc's eye. He threw a shield over you, let Michel take care of you, and went after the assailant."

Harry sighed. He'd never get to go anywhere on his own ever again. Maybe not even to the bathroom. "Did Marc catch him?"

"A Pureblood fanatic, who was against all of your policies to bring the non-humans back into the Wizarding World," Draco nodded.

"Sorry," Harry said. To both of them.

"We couldn't give you the antidote while you were still pregnant," Severus said. "The Aconite in the potion would have been harmful to Clarissa."

"You only got a glancing blow of the hex, but combined with the hormones already in your body from the pregnancy, it made you both paranoid and apathetic," Draco explained. "You fought with everyone, and would barely tolerate me and Severus."

"Oh, damn... and, it's been months," Harry realized. He had been just about four months pregnant when he took that walk. "What's going on?" He waved a hand. "Out there?"

Draco laughed.

Severus frowned and blushed at the same time.

"They made Severus be the acting Minister for Magic until you were better," Draco smirked. "He, of course, laid off all the hard work on anyone who didn't duck fast enough, including George Weasley."

Harry laughed, then winced. "Oh, don't make me laugh, that uses all the wrong muscles."

"And you're due for a pain potion, now that you're awake," Draco replied. "You had a pretty hard labor, and you're bound to be sore for a bit."

Harry looked down at Clarissa, sleeping peacefully. "Is... is she okay?"

"She's fine," Draco assured him. "Ten fingers, and ten toes. A teeny bit underweight for being a couple of weeks early, but nothing to worry about."

"Now take this," Severus held a vial out to Harry.

Harry handed Clarissa to Draco. "Maybe Severus and I can have a few minutes," he begged. "And you probably want to get acquainted with your new goddaughter."

Draco's eyes went wide for a minute, and then he smiled. "I would like that, thank you." He carefully took the baby from Harry. "Five minutes. No more."

When Draco had left, he reached out to Severus. "Come here," he said.

Severus eased onto the bed, careful of not jostling Harry too much. 

"I'm sorry for putting you through that," Harry whispered against Severus' lips.

"Still not your fault," Severus assured him.

"Can you stay?" Harry asked. "In bed with me?"

"Just sleep," Severus warned. But he leaned in for a warm, soft kiss. 

"You're going to make me take that pain potion, and it's going to put me to sleep," Harry pointed out. 

"True," Severus agreed. 

"But we have months of cuddling time to make up for," Harry pouted, moving over slightly to make more room for Severus. 

"There is that," Severus allowed. "Now take your potion."

"Will you be here when I wake?" Harry asked, hoping he did not sound too pathetic.

"Always," Severus promised.


End file.
